


Revenge and a Little Bit More

by owlcakes



Category: A Hat in Time (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, cat lady is really in for it, hhh im bad at titles, hk not having a good day, local noodle snaps like a rubber band, more at 11
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:47:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25011868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/owlcakes/pseuds/owlcakes
Summary: Hat Kid gets catnapped and Snatcher ain't having it. Nyakuza Metro gets some unneeded remodeling. Snatcher comes to a realization.
Relationships: Cooking Cat & Hat Kid (A Hat in Time), Hat Kid & Snatcher (A Hat in Time)
Comments: 21
Kudos: 192





	Revenge and a Little Bit More

**Author's Note:**

> I uhhh wanted to write Snatcher going apeshit and this was what happened! I hope they aren't too ooc I tried lol
> 
> Also this is the longest oneshot/chapter I've ever written dear lord.
> 
> Beta read by meillieur (on AO3)

Hat Kid was starting to think that maybe coming back to Nyakuza Metro, especially after a week, was a bad idea. Sure Le Félin was crawling with cops, but that didn't mean the yakuza boss was completely defeated. So when Hat Kid arrived, she really shouldn't have been so surprised at being ambushed by a bunch of cats. They surrounded her, and before she could react, literally pounced on her and she found herself in a sea of fur and claws. One took her umbrella and another swiped her hat. Hat Kid felt scratches on her face and someone -- or something, she couldn't tell -- struck her abdomen making her keel over. She couldn't even jump out of the crowd as one shoved a black sack over her head. In the blink of an eye, she was ambushed, overpowered and roughly dragged away from the metro plaza, struggling with all her might.

After about an hour of being carried around to who knows where, Hat Kid felt herself be tied to a chair (classy). After a couple seconds of nothing but taunts and scuffling, the sack came off her head and Hat Kid was face to face with the one and only Empress of Nyakuza Metro.

"Well, well, well," she began, her voice sounding particularly smug, "how nice of you to stop by." Hat Kid narrowed her eyes and frowned. The first thing the alien child noticed was that her body ached. It seemed the cat gang didn't hold back when they attacked her. Her abdomen hurt and she felt her left eye swell slightly. Wind, from a vent nearby, breezed past her face and she felt a stinging sensation as her scratches reacted to the cool air. It didn't help that she basically struggled the entire time they dragged her here, and so she received more injuries from that.

The second thing she noticed was her location. She scanned the room they were in and was surprised to find it looked like a storage room of sorts, cardboard boxes were stacked in the corners and a metal shelf held, what looked to be, the Empress' own shiny treasures. The blaring sound of a cat train could be heard overhead and the room shook. Dust fell from the ceiling and the boxes rattled, many of the lackey cats ran to different corners, holding the boxes steady.

Hat Kid put on her best smug tone, "Nice place."

The Empress felt her eye twitch, ignoring the child as she began, "Unfortunately, I can no longer use my original headquarters." The Empress looked more than a little peeved at her current living situation. She looked back at Hat Kid, her voice dripping with malice. "All thanks to a certain someone." Her ears laid back and she bared her fangs at the end of her sentence.

Hat Kid gulped and felt herself shiver slightly under the cat's gaze. She may have been too overconfident in her revisiting.

"Now allow me to explain why you're here," the Empress began. She folded her arms behind her back and began to pace around Hat Kid. "You should know that last time you were here, you stole some things that belonged to me. As well as,” she glared at the child before her, the kid only glared back, “knocking down a sizable chunk of my influence due to your excessive disruptions.” Hat Kid decided against telling her that those ‘excessive disruptions’ were all the Empress’ doing, due to her literally firing rockets at a child. But Hat Kid knew now was not the time to be a smart-aleck. “So, you can understand why you’re in this situation.” She stated, as if the dismantling of her cat gang was all Hat Kid’s fault and her current situation was some rightful punishment.

She finished her pacing and stood in front of the child nuisance, standing straight as her eyes looked down. “Now, I realize that I can’t very well send you to go fetch them. So I have decided to use another pawn.” Hat Kid couldn’t help but make a confused expression. Was one of her lackey cats going to do it? As soon as one of them entered her ship, the place would go completely on lockdown until she, herself, bypassed the alarm. So there was no way they could get to the vault. “My sources tell me that you have frequent visitors in your...spacecraft. One of them, I’m sure, is willing to bring them to me,” The Empress brought one of her paws out, flexing it open as her claws retracted outward. “especially if they have a little motivation.” Hat Kid barely had time to process her words before the Empress swiped at Hat Kid’s face making the child forcefully turn her head. The attack was enough for Hat Kid to feel tears well up in her eyes, though she willed herself not to cry. She wouldn’t give the Empress the satisfaction.

She glared back at her captor and as she did, she was blinded by a flash of light and the sound of whirring. Blinking away the spots, the Empress chuckled as one her lackeys handed her a developed photo of the child. “Perfect, I’m sure whoever is staying in your craft will no doubt be delighted in complying.” She put the picture in an envelope, along with a written note, no doubt her demands, and handed it to a cat. “You know where to go.” The cat nodded and was off. “Now, why don’t we move somewhere more appropriate, shall we?” The Empress laughed as Hat Kid was, once again, blinded by a sack over her head.

….

Cooking Cat was happily baking some cookies. Chocolate chip to be exact, Hat Kid’s favorite. The child had rushed in today in high spirits, explaining how she completed one of Snatcher’s ‘Death Wish’ contracts. Cooking Cat wasn’t too fond of having a child sign contracts that threatened her life, but if Hat Kid was enjoying herself then the chef wouldn’t pry any further. She had just put the first batch of cookies in the oven when she heard knocking coming from out of the kitchen. Quickly washing her hands, she went to go inspect who it was. Her ears perked a little as she saw a cat with a face mask, knocking on the big bay window that showed Earth below. She knew that kind of cat -- they lived in the Metro. Cookie had lived there once years before, when she was trying to make a name for herself by selling food out of a cart.

She cocked an eyebrow as she made her way down to the window. Opening it, the cat seemed to be taken aback by her presence. “Cooking Cat?! Is that really you?! I can’t believe I’d find you here!”

Cooking Cat smiled at the visitor’s reaction. “And why, may I ask, are you here? Come to check out this wonderful spaceship?”

The cat seemed to avert eye contact at that, his posture showing guilt. He handed the chef an envelope, “Uh… just here delivering a message.”

….

It was a bit quiet in his forest today.

Which was either a good thing or a bad thing and this good or bad also depended on who was in his forest. More specifically, if Hat Kid was in Subcon or not.

Snatcher turned a page of his book. He wasn’t really focusing on the words anymore, his attention was more towards any noise he heard in his forest. Any rustling of a bush, any snap of a branch, anything that would tell him that the kid was here. But he couldn’t hear anything, only the breeze and the occasional footsteps of one of the subconites. He couldn’t help but huff out a quiet laugh. When had he become so used to her presence, that a day without her felt abnormal?

When they first met, he just wanted her soul. Treated her as nothing but another one of his meals...and towel boy. But she proved resilient and a real go getter. She even bested him in battle and, though he would never admit it, he had to admire her for it. Though that isn’t to say that he was still peeved at her editing his contract and claiming them to be ‘best friends’, something that used to grate on his nerves as he thought back to it, but now he found it more amusing than anything. And when she decided to leave, he didn’t know what compelled him to try and convince her to stay, making up some excuse about signing another contract was the only thing he could think of at the moment.

Those long months when she was gone, was the only time Snatcher actually kept track of what day it was. Again, he didn’t know why and he spent those months absolutely stewing in his thoughts about it. Going over and over the different reasons. He ruled out the fact that he wanted to kill her, sort of, the more stubborn side of him kept clinging on to this excuse. But he knew it wasn’t the real reason. It couldn't be that he wanted her to try new contracts, well not the main reason. He very much wanted to see what she was capable of, and what her limits were, if she had any. So that’s why, during those months, he had made a decision and set to work on creating new contracts. It made for a good excuse for himself as to why he wanted the kid to return, also it kept him busy. Better than stewing in his chair. The creation of the contracts also helped in his nagging denial that she may never return. Again, he didn’t know why he seemed to care so much.

It seemed that his doubts were proven wrong though, because one day, as he was reading his book, he heard a boom in the atmosphere. He couldn’t explain it, but he just knew that the kid had returned. He felt his smile grow wider at the thought of her visiting again. This was quickly followed by the question as to why and he chalked it up to the excitement of getting to see her die over his contracts.

He was very antsy those first few days. He would rap his fingers on his armchair in impatience, staring ahead at nothing in particular. His thoughts spiraling out of control. Why hadn't she been around yet? Where was she? Was she visiting someone else? And why did he care so much?!

That was the most annoying part. Why did it bug him so much? Why did he care where she was? Why? Why? Why?!

He was starting to hate that word.

Well, if she wasn't coming here then he decided to go up there. His curiosity of the ship made for a good excuse.

One blaring alarm later, followed by Hat Kid running into her bedroom, and the kid was finally looking over the map Snatcher had created. He couldn't help but swell with pride. There was no way she wouldn't refuse, it was too tempting. And so, just like he predicted, she agreed and signed.

In a way, Snatcher also signed away what he used to consider to be normal. His old normal of reading books quietly, snatching souls, and delivering mail, was replaced by a new normal. One of a child roaming the forest, pestering the ghost about his age, trying and failing to hug him, and helping the subconites. The more time she spent here, the more the resident ghost grew used to her. He didn't find her as troublesome as before, and enjoyed the banter they shared together.

It took a moment for Snatcher to realize he had been staring at the same page for well over five minutes. He narrowed his eyes slightly. It was rare he would space out like this. Putting his book away in a puff of smoke, he turned his head and stared out the hole of his tree. The wide trail was empty, save for a few subconites idly chatting. Snatcher rapped his ghostly fingers on his armchair. He had this odd feeling in his "gut" that he couldn't quite describe. The biggest question this feeling was telling him was where exactly the kid was. He turned away. She could take care of herself, she was more than capable of that. She didn't need any help, and if she did need help, Snatcher surely wasn't going to be the first to volunteer. He had a reputation to uphold and didn't need any of his minions seeing any soft side of his. Which there is none! He quickly thought.

Still, the nagging wouldn't go away.

Huffing in annoyance, he got up from his seat. Well, he wanted to see if he could tempt the kid with another contract anyway, so this was the perfect opportunity to go up to her ship. Getting to satiate this nagging feeling was just a bonus. She was probably sleeping or eating or whatever living things needed to do to stay alive. And so in the blink of an eye, he teleported up to the spacecraft.

Snatcher first noticed that the kid wasn't in her room. It was empty. Even the pillow pile made no movement that signaled the kid may have been under them. Okay, so she wasn't in her room. Nothing to freak out about (wait why would he freak out?), she was probably just eating or something. He slid through the tunnel that led to the main area, which was also empty except for that robot on the floor. Its small noises acted as a greeting to the ghost. Not here either. That nagging seemed to shift to something else. As he looked out the large bay windows, a loud noise was heard from behind him. Snatcher whipped his head around to see that chef cat, who basically lived in the kitchen, arms spread wide as she opened both kitchen doors. She was breathing heavily and was startled to see someone else up here, though that surprise turned to relief.

"Oh, thank goodness!" She made her way down as she talked, her voice shaky, "I-I don't know what to do, she wants those hourglass things but I can't possibly get them since the vault is locked and I just know I can't go to the Metro empty handed!" The cat looked completely distraught. The fur on her head was frazzled, as if she had been running her paws through them in distress. "I don't know how long she plans on holding her or-or what else she's done! I-I don't have any way of getting in the vault or getting those hourglasses, I-I don't know what to do!" She fiddled and waved her hands as she talked, looking frantically around the room.

Snatcher didn't have eyebrows, but one would certainly be raised if he had them. He couldn't even come up with a sarcastic response, at first, as he was so put off guard at the cat's demeanor. " **Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on!** " He waved his hand in front of the cat to grab her attention. " **What are you going on about? Why do you look like you just saw a ghost?** " He laughed a little at his joke, but the cat didn't seem to want to join in.

Cooking Cat faced the ghost, "You don't understand! It's Hat Kid, something's happened to her!"

That seemed to get his attention. He straightened a little, the smile on his face faltering slightly. " **Can't the kid handle herself?** " His question seemed so nonchalant, given the situation. But, a beat later, he slightly leaned forward over the cat as he continued, his voice lowering, " **That better not be a joke _cat_ , cause I'm not laughing**."

Cooking Cat shrunk a little under his gaze, her ears partly lowering. She had never actually spent a lot of time with the ghost, though she had seen him from time to time whenever she brought Hat Kid food. He would sit there in the corner of her room, reading a book titled: “How to Kill Kids” (not exactly comforting) and sometimes when the kid went off somewhere, he would hang around her room. But despite this, the two hadn’t actually interacted all that much. So this irritation he seemed to direct towards her was...well a tad intimidating. Though, it would take a lot more for Cookie to be scared than some purple ghost glaring at her.

She straightened herself and pulled out the envelope from her pocket, handing it to Snatcher. "She's in trouble." Her voice was more steady now. As the ghost took the letter and opened it, Cookie started explaining, "She was kidnapped by the Empress in Nyakuza Metro! I’m not sure what she wants to do with those timepieces the girl collects, but it probably isn't good. I had no idea the Empress was still in control, though I haven’t been back in years but-”

Snatcher wasn’t really listening to her ramblings as he read the letter. Well it was more of a ransom note, actually. It was the usuals, give the Empress the timepieces in exchange for the kid and if they refused then the kid would never be seen again. A simple switch. Honestly though, Snatcher would have liked it if the letter had a bit more theatrics, it was no more than three lines, two giving demands and one giving the location on where to meet, the underground Bluefin Tunnels, then a signature of a paw print with the words “The Empress” in cursive. Whatever happened to showmanship? He could write a ransom note ten times better than this.

It was funny, no amount of joking seemed to quell this feeling deep within him. A feeling of unease and anxiety that twisted inside him. It was something he hadn't felt in a long while.

His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed another piece of paper sticking out of the envelope. He slowly pulled it out, revealing a photo of the exact child he'd currently been searching for. Something seemed to rise up from within him and catch his throat. Was that even possible? He didn't realize that Cooking Cat had stopped her ramblings and was staring up at him, watching him study the photo.

The picture was at a slight quarter angle, revealing more of Hat Kid's left side of her face, but still showing her body in full. She didn't have her signature hat on and she was tied to a chair, glaring at someone off camera. She looked a little worse for wear: her hair was frazzled, scratch marks and dirt littered her face. But the most prominent injury Snatcher immediately focused on were the three large, long scratch marks on her left cheek. They were larger than the other scratches and small trickles of blood could be seen coming out of the wounds. These were probably left by the Empress. The photo was an obvious threat. A way for the Empress in getting her point across as clearly as possible.

Well, consider the message received.

Cooking Cat opened her mouth to speak, but was stopped by the sight of blue fire leaking out of Snatcher's hands. They engulfed the entirety of the envelope, letter and photo, instantly destroying them. The flames, burning so hot that not even a single flake of ash was left. Also, was it just her or did the room get darker? The shadows around her grew larger, almost as if they were about to consume her. And there was an immense pressure that hung in the air that Cookie felt like she might suffocate under it.

" **Say cat.** " Cookie jumped at the sound of Snatcher's voice. It was low and calm, yet held something sinister. He wasn't really facing her, rather he was looking forward as if he was focused at the large screen that showed the timepiece count. He wasn’t even smiling. " **Where did you say this 'Nyakuza Metro' was again?** "

Cooking Cat wasn't about to correct him in saying that she never gave him the directions in the first place.

….

When the sack was pulled off, Hat Kid noticed that they were in the Bluefin Tunnels of the metro. The constant noise and flow of trains, running around the large area, was loud enough to where she almost couldn't even hear her own thoughts and the rumbling under her feet made her legs shake, which was another difference. She was never tied back up to a chair when entering the room, rather her hands were bound and she was escorted by two cats who carried baseball bats. They were standing between two of the four pillars that supported the room, facing the food cart and Hat Kid noticed a sizable line of yakuza cats in front of it, obviously wanting a bite to eat. She didn't see the Empress anywhere from her position, hopefully she wouldn't show up anytime soon. This was a perfect opportunity to plan an escape.

But how to go about it? She didn't have her hat, nor her umbrella, so the only thing she could really rely on was her skills in acrobatics and maybe a little luck, like a distraction.

She rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet, "Say," she began, her voice innocent. "I hear those eggrolls are to die for! Could you, maybe, get me one?" She flicked her eyes back and forth between the two cats.

One of the cats glanced her way and replied with a simple, "No."

Hat Kid pouted, "But I heard they're really good! And they're, probably, almost all gone!" The two cats looked at each other and Hat Kid waited in anticipation, hoping they would take the bait.

The cat on the left of Hat Kid, observed the long line in front of them, his ear twitched, "Hm, an eggroll sounds good right now."

"Well, I'm not leaving my post," the other replied. "The Empress told us to guard the kid."

Cat number one looked at his partner, "Then _you_ can stay, and _I'll_ go get some."

"No way," this time the second one was facing his partner, "cause last time you bought me one, you got me chicken when you know I prefer fish."

The other rolled his eyes as his tail flicked, "I _told you_ that they ran out of fish!"

"Is that why you had a fish eggroll?" The second gave the first an accusatory glare. "They ran out cause you bought the last one!"

The two were now completely facing each other, ears flat and eyes narrowed. They never noticed their small hostage slowly inching away from them as the argument continued. Honestly, Hat Kid was surprised at this turn of events. She originally planned for them to agree to get egg rolls and, for either both or one, to buy some, leaving her an opening. This argument, however, was working perfectly and the fact that they were facing each other was even better. Of course, she was very cautious in this escape plan. If she moved too sudden then they would notice her and pounce, but if she moved too slow then she would miss her window and get nowhere.

Taking a quick look around, it seemed that none of the other cats noticed her, too caught up in their own conversations or food. Hat Kid had a brief thought that they weren't all that vigilant and wondered why she ever let them get the best of her. Then she felt the soft vibrations through her feet, the rumbling of a train. Her heart sped up at the mere thought of attempting this escape. She was so close! The vibrations grew closer, she couldn't hesitate. It was now or never!

She was far enough from the two guards that she quickly turned on her heels and ran off in the direction of the train tracks. The first cat noticed movement from somewhere far off and looked over the shoulder of his partner. All quarreling stopped as he immediately shouted for someone to catch the kid. Hat Kid kept on running, one cat dove to tackle her but she instinctively jumped over them. She fumbled a little as she landed, her tied hands causing a little problem in keeping her balance. Hat Kid looked to her left as she ran, down towards the track, and was hit with a wave of relief as she saw a train coming up. All she had to do was jump up there and she was home free. One cat swiped at her, barely missing as their claws grazed her purple coat, tearing it slightly.

The horn, and cat, of the train blared as it approached. A few more steps! As the train passed by her, she mustered her last bit of strength and jumped! It felt like it all happened in slow motion, Hat Kid felt herself airborne, her legs stretching, the rush of the train blowing hair in her face. She only focused on her breath for that moment, until it was gone. Something tugged at the end of her cape. The sudden jolt caused her feet to kick out from under her and she felt her body get pulled back down. Her heart sank as time returned to normal and she saw the end of the train leave, unbeknownst that it was her only saving grace. Now, her hopefulness was replaced with fear as her body was forcibly turned to face the one that caught her.

It was the Empress, and she did _not_ look happy.

She had a snarl on her face, ears back and tail flicking back and forth. "Someone care to tell me how this happened!" She demanded and scanned the cat gang. None would meet her eyes. She pointed at the two cats in who originally guarded Hat Kid, "You two!" The duo instantly stood at attention as the Empress continued. "I thought I _told_ you to _watch_ her! Do you not understand what that means?!" The cats didn't respond, eyes avoiding her piercing gaze. They tried giving their excuses, but the Empress wasn't listening. She would deal with them later. Letting go of the cape, the Empress grabbed the child's front collar and pulled her closer.

With her left hand, the Empress gripped Hat Kid’s chin and forcibly turned her head to the right side. She snarled, “Since you're always so eager to oppose me, perhaps I should give you a fair warning about defying me.” She raised her paw and Hat Kid saw her claws glint on the fluorescent lights, the child widened her eyes as she tried struggling away from the Empress’ iron grip. Hat Kid squeezed her eyes shut, hoping that, at least, the attack would be quick.

“ **WHHHYYYYYYY HELLO THERE!!!** ”

A second of silence passed before Hat Kid slowly opened one eye, she noticed that the Empress was looking far past her, tilting her head upwards as she faced the owner of the mysterious voice. Her ear twitched. Recognizing the familiar cheery echoed voice, Hat Kid couldn’t help but smile a little. She didn't need to crane her neck to know who it was.

The Empress looked on and studied this unexpected visitor. He looked to be a giant dark purple shadow with glowing yellow eyes and mouth, a wide grin plastered on his face. His body was long, with, what looked to be, a sort of mane or ruffles, surrounding the area that could be considered the neck. His rounded fingers interlocked each other as he surveyed the scene before him. The Empress had never seen a creature like this one, but that wouldn’t be enough to deter her. She let go of Hat Kid, the child falling to the floor as two cats grabbed both her arms, holding her in place. As the Empress walked around her, she faced the shadow.

“Who might you be and what, exactly, are you doing here?” she asked, voice threatening and an eyebrow raised. She folded her hands behind her back as she talked.

The smile on the shadow’s face never faltered as he talked, “ **Unimportant,** ” He waved a shadowy hand dismissively. “ **And I'm only here because I seem to have... _misplaced_ something.**” His voice lowered and, though she couldn’t quite explain how, she saw only the briefest of...something flash across his face. His head did a quick look over her shoulder, the movement so subtle, that not many would be able to pick it up. The air shifted, the temperature seemed to drop and, though it could not be explained, a sudden pressure fell over the group. They exchanged weary glances. The cat gang didn’t know if the Empress felt this change, but if she did then she made no indication of it. Returning his voice to that feign cheerfulness, he spoke, “ **So, I suggest you return it to me before things get _really_ ugly!**”

The Empress’ ear twitched slightly, thinking over the shadow’s response, she internally smiled. She had a strong hunch as to why this shadow creature was here. “And how, may I ask, do you know _I_ have it?” As she feigned her ignorance, her smug smirk did not go unnoticed by the shadow. If this figure wanted to play the long game, then she would comply. Who would break first?

Though if the shadow were irritated by her question, he didn’t show it. He replied in that same cheerful tone, waving his arms around as he explained “ **Oh you can’t miss it! About four feet high, jumps around alot, likes to pester people, has a thematic coloring of purple and yellow, wears a hat!** ” He pointed to the top of his head, as if gesturing to an invisible hat. By now, the room had gotten considerably colder, and the cats noticed the shadows, which originally kept to their corners, had started to elongate and grow. The Empress couldn’t help but feel a shiver run down her spine, her animal instincts telling her that _something_ was wrong. However, her pride was quick to drown it out.

Looks like her hunch was correct though, he was here for the kid. However, she wasn't informed of anyone like _this_ visiting the child's spacecraft. No matter, the Empress could handle little surprises here and there. She flicked her tail back and forth, a harmless gesture to untrained eyes, but a signal to her cats to get ready to execute a plan.

“If you’re here for the child,” she began, crossing one arm over her midsection, resting the other on top and putting a finger to her chin. ”then I suggest you come back when you bring me my hourglasses. Those items belong to _me_.” She bared her teeth slightly, a small part of her finding comfort in her intimidation.

" **Funny,** " the shadow began, his voice lowering, " **never saw your name on them.** " He leaned closer, eyes narrowing slightly. Out of the corner of her eye, the Empress saw something dark seep out of the floor. She should probably wrap this up before anything else happens. The whole atmosphere seemed to be building to something she was certain would not go in her favor.

She twitched her tail agan. "Well, if you aren't here to return them to me, then I guess our business is concluded." She swiped her arm down in an execution motion and shouted, "Now!" Suddenly two cats appeared from seemingly nowhere, holding rocket launchers. One perched onto the lower train while the other appeared from on top of the food cart.

The shadow had the briefest look of confusion on his face as the two cats took aim and fired. The rockets struck the ceiling above him, collapsing the structure. Concrete and rock rained down on him and he was instantly buried by the rubble crumbling down.

Hat Kid was held tight by two cats gripping her arms as the conversation between the two began. She was a little flattered to know that Snatcher came all the way here to help her, even though he would probably deny it once this whole thing was over. As the two continued talking, she noticed a change. The atmosphere became heavy and cold, much like when she fought Snatcher. She also noticed that her friend's voice had gotten considerably irritated as the conversation went on and had even sounded downright threatening. Then she saw the two cats carrying rocket launchers, she didn't even have time to shout a warning as they fired. The rockets flying over her head.

The next thing she knew was the sound of an explosion, the noise of falling debris filling her ears and dust covering her vision, invading her lungs and causing reactionary coughing. It didn't take long for the cat gang to gather at the opposite end of the room, the two cats, holding Hat Kid, gripped her shoulders and pulled her back as she coughed, her feet dragging along the floor. As she was moved, she looked on at the pile of rubble where, she assumed, Snatcher once was. Her heart fell into her stomach as she viewed the scene. Dust was everywhere, large pieces of concrete slabs piled on one another, and the noise of the trains ceased creating an eerie feeling in the air. It didn't help that her ghostly friend was nowhere to be seen.

A logical part of her tried to reason that he was a ghost and, therefore, concrete couldn't hurt him. But she also thought back to their fight and her attacks. Worry twisted her gut and she felt her chest tighten causing her breathing to hitch. She barely registered the Empress give orders to move to a new location as Hat Kid shouted, "SNATCHER!" With newfound strength, she wriggled out of the cats' grasp and stumbled her way towards the pile.

This earned a glare from the Empress and she turned to retaliate at the child, grabbing her by her cape and snarling, “Quiet! Or should I silence you myself?!” Hat Kid didn’t listen and continued to struggle her way free, all the while screaming to let her go and calling for “Snatcher”. No doubt the name of the shadow she got rid of. Her patience wearing thin, she threw the girl on the floor with a thud. Hat Kid's shoulder collided hard on the ground and she let out a cry of pain as she clutched her injured shoulder.

A booming noise could be heard and all eyes locked onto the pile of rubble. A long arm stretched outward from the slabs of concrete and slammed down on the floor so hard it created a mini earthquake. Any cats that were in that area, scattered as the hand landed down, the rounded fingers shifting to sharpened claws. They dug into the ground and pierced the concrete floor. The entire cat gang, and Hat Kid, felt a chill run down their spine. Dark long bubble-like forms seeped out of the ground as more rumbling could be heard from the rubble. Hat Kid recognized them as the same ones that floated in her room whenever Snatcher visited.

Looking onward, Hat Kid saw a large, purple body push itself out of the pile with a growl. More rubble slid off as the body lifted itself further upwards. As the dust cleared Hat Kid finally had a good view of its face and she couldn't help this sinking feeling hit her gut.

It was Snatcher all right, but he took a form that not even Hat Kid had ever seen. His yellow eyes, which used to be more rounded, had a jagged slant to them. His mouth, which only had two short fangs, seemed to have added more, larger, sharp teeth. Oddly enough, he was still smiling though it was far from sincere. But the most surprising thing she noticed was this sort of yellow smoke pouring out of both his eyes and the two corners of his mouth.

Before he had hundreds of pounds of concrete fall on top of him, Snatcher had found it incredibly hard to keep himself under control during his little talk with the Empress. The moment he arrived and saw that _cat_ grab Hat Kid, about to strike her, he wanted nothing more than too...well what he wanted to do would look unpleasant in front of the kid. So he willed himself to keep it under control. However, he found it...difficult. The quick glance behind the Empress, looking at the kid, he saw how disheveled and tired she looked. Her hair was matted, caused by sweat and dirt, her pony-tail looked slightly undone and her face, as well as her clothes, had dirt smeared on. He could even see the scratches on her face that were shown in the photo. The sight alone caused his power to instinctively spike and he felt an unspeakable rage fester inside him, a kind he had never felt before. It contorted and pulsed inside, as if the emotion itself were alive. Telling him to act now and get rid of the Empress by any means necessary. He was very tempted to give in. He didn't really question why he felt this way. All he knew was that he hated the scene before him. Snatcher did his best to swallow it down and continue to act unbothered. His top priority was getting the kid out, but if he had to kill the Empress to do that, well that was just a bonus.

While his attention was focused on the Empress, and his deep seated rage, he never noticed the two insignificant cats pointing missiles at him. It was too late for him to teleport out of the way as the rockets exploded and debris came crashing down onto him. The heavy concrete weighing on his body. The attack didn't injure him too badly, he had just eaten a few souls, so his body was more than capable in taking a few hits. But it was the screaming voice of Hat Kid, invading his hearing, that really unsettled him. This was quickly followed by threats from the Empress. They were slightly muffled due to him being buried, but it wasn't hard to understand them. The Empress' threat and the sound of something heavy landing on the floor followed by a sharp cry. Apparently, this was enough to send him over the edge. Like his blue fire, burning hot and wild, Snatcher lost all sense of self-control and gave in to the rage that had been growing within him.

Quiet laughter filled the air, the tone a cheerful facade. Every abled body in the room ceased its action, every head turning towards the pile, every ear taking in the sinister laughter, and a collective shiver fell over the crowd. Including Hat Kid and the Empress. " **I'LL ONLY SAY THIS ONCE!** " Snatcher's voice had lost all cheer in it now, no matter how fake it usually was. Instead, he sounded absolutely furious, with every word dripping with malice. He slowly crawled out of the pile and Hat Kid had only now noticed that his ruffled neck was exceedingly more puffed out than usual. It made his size look much larger than usual and added to his wild state. " **HAND OVER THE KID, OR I'LL EAT _EVERY_ SOUL IN THIS METRO!**" He snarled.

Surprisingly none of the pillars, which supported the underground room, collapsed during the cats' initial attack. So Snatcher seemed to decide that these were a good target. Gripping one with a clawed hand, he ripped the pillar from its base as if it were a twig. More stone and concrete flew like shrapnel, some even grazing Hat Kid's awestruck face. She struggled to sit up as she watched her friend's rampage, feeling more helpless than ever.

It was utter chaos in the room now. Cats were screaming, dodging, and some even running away. Any that were brave enough to attack the shadow were quickly dealt with by Snatcher grabbing their bodies and flinging them across the room, their bodies exploding into pons. The floor shook as large boulders, or Snatcher's hands slamming down, hit the ground. There didn't seem to be any strategy in his attacks. It was almost as if he was acting on impulse. Killing anything that attacked him. In the midst of this chaos, the Empress quickly ordered for someone to hand her, her rocket launcher and to move to the next location. "And don't forget the kid!" She shouted and she loaded her weapon. She was not about to be taken down so easily.

With widened eyes, Hat Kid watched as her friend continued his onslaught against the cat gang. For the first time in a while, she didn't know what to do. Should she run? Should she stay and fight? And who should she fight? The cats or…? Her mouth felt dry. She struggled to stand and found it hard to balance herself as her hands were still tied. Well, running was out of the question as her legs refused to move. She could only stand there, mouth agape at the scene before her. She couldn't really recognize her friend. Not even his signature voice was there, instead of the cheerful tone he used, it was replaced with venom and rage. Hat Kid had never seen this side of Snatcher before. Sure, she had seen him angry, especially during their fight, but nothing like this. This rage was in a whole other realm. The more she looked, the more she noticed this feeling develop within her. It twisted her insides, made her sweat, caused her heart to race, and she even felt her legs shake. It had been a while since she felt this emotion, especially towards her friend. It hadn't appeared ever since her battle with Mustache Girl, when she truly thought she was going to lose, but she could not deny what it was.

Fear.

She was snapped away from her thoughts as she felt two pairs of paws grab her arms and pull her back. As her legs were being dragged, she started to flail and kick, trying to break free. The exhaustion from struggling earlier was catching up to her and the paws felt like an iron grip on her. A large rock fell right in front of the alien child and she yelped in shock realizing that if she stayed there a moment too late then…

"Let me go!" She yelled, the prospect of her sudden death seemed to help in regaining her strength and she began to struggle again. The boom of rockets from the Empress, Snatcher's furious roars and attacks, and the shaking of the ground due to falling debris, made it very hard for Hat Kid to hear her own voice. Out of pure luck, a large rock fell in front of the cats. They instinctively loosened their grip on the child, throwing their free paws in front of their faces to protect themselves from the debris. This was all Hat Kid needed to break free, taking off towards her friend.

As she looked on, she noticed that Snatcher seemed to be growing more and more impatient and irritated with the cats attacking him. Not that he wasn't before, but it looked as if he reached his boiling point. Every cat that attacked him, he would retaliate to only be countered by the Empress' rockets. When he began to even think about going after her, another cat would distract him and the cycle would begin again. So it seemed he had had enough. Firing his lasers at them or crushing them under his clawed hands, he smiled at their demise. Hat Kid felt sick watching it.

She continued running toward the monstrous ghost. It took a second for Hat Kid to process that the room was growing darker by the second. She knew this attack, though she didn't know what changes her ghostly friend had planned given his new state.

“ **THAT’S ENOUGH!** ” The monstrous ghost roared and the room was instantly plunged into darkness.

Immediately stopping and feet planted firmly in place, the alien child dared not move a single inch. The only movement from her was the rise and fall of her chest as ragged breaths escaped her. Yep, this was another one of Snatcher's attacks. Except, instead of one phony ghost and one real ghost to hit, the shadow wasn't showing himself. Not even his glowing yellow face could be seen. It was so dark, she couldn't even see her hands. She kept thinking her eyes were closed only to blink them and be proven wrong. She had a fleeting thought, wondering if the darkness affected the cats' eyes. Her question was shortly answered by fearful screams of cats all around her, which were quickly cut short by...something. That was another thing, she couldn’t hear Snatcher, only the cries of cats, followed by the sound of crushing rock. They weren’t able to see or hear their attacker. Hat Kid felt her blood run cold.

She had to stop this and she had to do it soon.

The darkness enveloping her, quickly rescinded after only a few seconds. Though it felt longer. Hat Kid, slightly squinting due to the bright lights, looked around the destroyed Bluefin Tunnel to see that there were no more cats, just pons. It seemed Snatcher had moved from directly in front of her to her right. One other pillar had been destroyed, the monstrous ghost shaking his hand free of the dust and rubble from the newly removed structure. He didn't seem to be smiling anymore. It took a moment to realize that the room was quiet, so seizing this precious opportunity, Hat Kid ran towards her ghostly friend.

She almost tripped as she called out to him, "Snatcher!" His head snapped in her direction and the movement alone almost made Hat Kid freeze. She persisted. "Stop! Please, you have to stop!" Adrenaline, anxiety, and fear caused her heart to beat hard against her chest, and her stomach to jump in her throat, as she approached her friend. If she thought he was scary before, he looked absolutely menacing up close. That yellow smoke still continued to pour out of his eyes and mouth and he looked a little more frazzled than when he first arrived. His ruffled neck was covered in dust and tiny bits of rubble. A few charred areas littered his body, no doubt from the Empress’ rockets. His snarl never faltered as he looked at her.

This did nothing to quell the anxiety in the alien girl.

The Empress was perched on a slanted concrete slab, once part of the ceiling, only one side was connected to the top by bended rebars. She had jumped here at the last second before the room became black as night, no even darker. It was so dark, in fact, that not even her eyes could pierce through. She could only focus on the sounds of her cats being snuffed out by that thing. She didn't care about her cats on a personal level, but they were her workers. It was like that ghost wiped out an entire army and no matter how many rockets she fired, he didn't look phased in the slightest. He was about to come for her next had it not been for the child calling out to him. So, since he was temporarily distracted, the Empress wasted no time in enacting her revenge. Hourglasses be damned, she was not going to let the fall of her gang go unpunished. She aimed her rocket at Hat Kid. _An eye for an eye,_ she thought and fired.

Said Hat Kid was standing in front of her ghostly friend, who was oddly quiet. He was resting his spectral body on the ground and was propping himself up by his hands as he continued to stare at her, his monstrous form unchanging. Hat Kid had hoped that shouting at him would have snapped him out of _whatever_ had gotten into him, clearly she was wrong. Well, it wasn't all for nothing. He was looking at her, so clearly he had gained a little bit of self-control. Taking a few deep breaths to calm herself, which failed considering she still felt her whole body shake, she began talking, "I don't know what happened to you, but you have to stop!" She wrung her hands together, the rope rubbing against her wrists. She found it hard to keep eye contact and it was especially nerve wracking that Snatcher did not seem to be reacting. He just continued to stare at her, the yellow smoke continuing to billow out of him. However, despite this, Hat Kid was certain that his form changed slightly. The change was subtle so she couldn’t exactly pinpoint _what_ changed, she just knew he did. Maybe his size was smaller, maybe his eyes didn’t hold that rage, or maybe the tension around him seemed to dissipate. Well, whatever happened, it seemed that she had gotten through to him for a moment. Looking back up at her friend, she opened her mouth to shout something when she was cut off by a loud, booming noise from her left. The duo quickly looked towards the noise to find the Empress crouching on a raised concrete slab, her rocket firing towards them. More specifically, towards Hat Kid.

She didn’t have enough time to really process and react to the oncoming missile, but Snatcher did. In a swift motion, he caught the missing and crushed it in his clawed hand. The explosion muffling in his grip. In an instant he turned on the Empress. With an ear piercing roar, he slammed his other hand down on the floor. Hat Kid could only watch in distraught as she noticed a purple glowing ring appear under the Empress. Snatcher was going to attack with his laser. It was almost like it was in slow motion. The Empress noticing the ring under her, Hat Kid beginning to shout a warning, Snatcher’s fury coming back full force, a snarl on his face. Then the laser appeared with a deafening noise and everything sped up again. The attack was so powerful that it shook the room, making Hat Kid lose her balance and fall.

Due to the overwhelming power, the laser pierced all the way to the main plaza of the metro. The unsuspecting residents were milling about their day, buying food, conversing about late trains or Cooking Cat’s newest episode, when they felt a rumbling underneath their feet. No sooner did they feel it, when a large colorful energy bursted from the floor. It appeared a few feet in front of the Bluefin Tunnels entrance, towards the information desk. Debris fell onto the cats as they scattered and cried for help. Some, immediately tending to their wounds once they were a good distance from the hole. A few cats coughed from the dust and waved away the smoke with their paws. There were even some pons lying about, indicating the ones who were in direct fire had perished. When they got their bearings, they saw the silhouette of a tall cat crawl out of the hole. They were carrying a large object on their shoulder and no sooner did the cats question who it was, did the figure step further out, the silhouette disappearing to show the Empress.

If they didn’t know any better, they could have sworn that she looked a little disheveled. Dirt covered her clothes and her fur stook out in different directions, some even swore they saw small blotches of blood. But that couldn’t be, who could injure the yakuza boss like this? Their question was answered by the Empress running a good distance from the hole she just appeared from and them seeing a dark form crawl out. Long shadow arms with sharp claws, dug into the floor as the figure pulled itself out. A glowing yellow face with, what looked to be, yellow smoke pouring out of its eyes and mouth. It greeted the cats with a snarl.

“ **Well _Empress_ ,**” The shadowy figure began in a low growl as it continued to crawl out of the hole. It said her name with such spite, almost as if the tone alone could injure her. “ **You want to keep going?! OR SHOULD I END IT NOW!** ” A row of purple rings made its way towards the Empress, who barely had time to dive out of the way as the rings fired lasers. Neon lit buildings shook and flickered on and off after the attack. Some, going completely dark. Cats ran from the plaza, many running towards trains in the hopes to catch a ride and escape the fury of this shadow.

Hat Kid was still down in the large room she was brought too. She layed on her side and coughed away the dust. Hands still tied, she struggled to sit up and began to scan the scene. Not a cat was insight, not a train sped by, and Snatcher and the Empress were nowhere to be seen. It was eerily quiet and Hat Kid felt uneasy. She was about to question where the two were until she heard an explosion far above her. The faint rumbling caused more dust and small debris to fall. Well, that answered _that_ question. Then, movement caught the corner of her eye. Quickly turning her head, she called out to the figure, “Hello?” No answer, so she continued. “Can you help untie me! I need...I have to help my friend. I don’t know what happened to him.” Her voice grew quieter at that last sentence and she looked at her bound hands. She didn’t know why, but she felt like crying. Seeing Snatcher like that did not sit right with her. He wasn't acting like his usual self and the threat of him eating everyone's soul here echoed in her mind. Any other time, she would have chalked it up as an empty threat. But with him in that state, she fully believed he would.

“Can you really stop it?” A voice spoke from in front of her. Looking up, Hat Kid saw a short cat looking down at her. She nodded as an answer, the lump in her throat blocking her voice. The cat bent down and cut through the rope with his sharp claws. Hat Kid slowly got up and dusted herself off. She was about to fix her hat, when she realized that she wasn’t wearing it. Who knows where it was now. “Here,” the cat spoke again and the child looked to see him hold her hat and umbrella in his paws. “You might need these.”

The child smiled softly, taking her possessions. “Thank you.” She felt whole again.

“Don’t thank me just yet,” the cat replied, he pointed to the hole in the ceiling, leading to the plaza. “You still need to defeat that monster.”

Hat Kid was quick to reply, looking up as she fixed her hat on her head, “He’s not a monster, he’s my best friend.” And she was going to _stop_ him.

A roar escaped Snatcher’s throat as he continued to attack the Empress. She was surprisingly nimble and would more often dodge his attacks than get hit. That only made him more pissed. His stability flew out the window and his coherent thoughts were abandoned when he crawled out of that pile of rubble. All he could feel was rage! All he could think about was killing this _cat_! He was going to kill until he felt _satisfied_! Until he felt that this metro got his well deserved wrath! He didn’t care how long it took or who he got rid of, all that mattered was making sure they never bothered Hat Kid again. Oh how he loathed what they did to her in that photo. His mind burned like fire when he saw the Empress about to attack the kid. And then she had the nerve to directly attack _again_ , with one of those missiles! Snatcher simply could not let that slide. It made him _furious_. He was going to make every cat here regret ever crossing him! He was going to make the Empress pay for ever laying a paw on her! Make her pay for even touching a _single hair!_ He was going to _BURN THIS ENTIRE PLACE TO THE GROUND_!

He never noticed blue flames flickering around his body.

Hat Kid had finally made it out of the hole and into the plaza. She was exhausted. The fight with the cats, the running and dodging of debris from attacks, and the climb up left her feeling completely drained. She wanted nothing more than to take a nice long nap in her bed. But she still had a mission to complete. First she had to find her target, which wasn’t hard given the trail of destruction he left behind him. He was still in the plaza, just on the other end of it. What was that Earth saying? Like a bull in a china shop? Or maybe that was the wrong figure of speech. Taking a few deep breaths to calm her heart rate, she went after him. She didn’t really know what she was going to do once she got there, but she couldn’t very well sit idly by while her friend was acting crazy.

As she looked on, Hat Kid noticed the Empress jumping and dodging Snatcher’s attacks, the latter becoming increasingly angry. Was it just her or did she see blue flames coming off her friend? That was new, considering all that she had seen him do today. A few cats ran past her and shouted warnings about not going towards the monster, but she ignored them. A missile fired in her direction and she quickly jumped to the side to avoid it. The closer she got, the louder Snatcher’s roars were and the harder the ground shook. For a split second, she worried that the floor would give way and she would fall right back down to the bottom of the metro. But she had no time to dwell on that fear as she saw Snatcher swipe at the Empress. She was jumping off the side of a building, most likely to find a place to position herself, when a large clawed hand aimed for her side.

His hit connected and the yakuza cat was sent flying in the direction of Hat Kid, who was quick to evade behind a fallen trash can. The Empress collided with the information desk, destroying the counter and causing pamphlets to fly. Apparently there were cats hiding there because a few bodies scrambled out of the way from the oncoming Empress. Her rocket launcher was out of her grasp, lying a few feet to her right, as she lay there unmoving. It seemed that Snatcher saw this as a perfect opportunity to attack again and flew over to his target. It was now or never, Hat Kid had to act fast!

The monstrous ghost arrived first and, wordlessly, lifted his hand in a striking motion as blue flames and yellow smoke billowed around him, along with those black bubbles seeping out of the floor. Feet carrying her, Hat Kid had seconds to act! Heart beating fast, hat flying off due to her speed, she skidded between her friend and the Empress as Snatcher brought his hand down in an attempt to end the life of the criminal cat.

"PLEASE STOP!" Hat Kid shouted with all her might that it scratched her throat. For a moment, everything was still and quiet.

Eyes shut tight, her arms and legs spread wide, Hat Kid stood between the monstrous Snatcher and the Empress. Though she felt her legs shake, she refused to buckle or move. Honestly, standing her ground was all she could think of at the moment. She wasn't sure if her message would get through to him, but she had to try. "DON'T DO IT!" She felt the beginning of tears escape her tightly shut eyes and her breathing hitched slightly. The events of the day were catching up to her and her body decided that this was the perfect moment to break down. Small sobs escaped her and tears finally fell as she kept thinking about Snatcher attacking innocent cats and seeming determined on killing the Empress. She couldn't stand seeing her friend like this.

She knew he wasn't perfect, and contractually taking her soul was evident to that, but no matter how badly the Empress treated her, Hat Kid would never do something as heinous as killing her. So, she wouldn't let Snatcher kill her either.

Hat Kid continued to stand there for a few more seconds, though she felt it lasted much longer, repeating for him to stop until her words were whispers and quiet sobs. The anticipation of Snatcher's next move, weighed heavily on her. Still, she kept her eyes closed. Then, from seemingly nowhere, Hat Kid felt a hand rest on her head. Her body instinctively tensed before immediately relaxing upon realizing that the hand held no ill will. Slowly opening her eyes, Hat Kid looked up to see Snatcher. He didn't look scary anymore, his body returned to normal, even a little smaller than normal, and his face looked slightly more relaxed. Though it still held a sense of tension, it was nothing to be overly worried about. Hat Kid couldn’t help but smile a little, finally her friend was back to normal. The weight of the entire situation instantly dissipated and the alien child started crying more in relief than fear and stress. Another thing Hat Kid noticed was that, though Snatcher's head was tilted toward her, his eyes were looking over her, most likely at the Empress. A scowl was still evident on his face.

Wordlessly, Snatcher lifted his hand from the kid’s head, turned around, and floated away. Hat Kid was quick to follow as she wiped her tears away and sniffled. She walked over to where her hat flew off and rested it back on her head when she heard the Empress speak.

“You’ll pay for this,” her voice was weak, yet still tried to hold authority. She was hunched over, gripping her side and latching onto the desk as her legs wobbled. She looked terrible. Her clothes were torn and dirty, her face just the same, except with hints of blood seeping through her fur.

Hat Kid felt something fly past her and she quickly saw Snatcher, his body larger once again, looming over the cat. The Empress instinctively hunching even further in on herself, ears flattening. Hat Kid opened her mouth when she was interrupted by Snatcher.

“ **The only reason you’re alive right now is because of the kid,** ” His voice was calm, the type of calm that held a very real threat. Though she couldn't see his face, Hat Kid noticed blue flames flickering around his clenched fists and that familiar yellow smoke flowing out. “ **So I suggest you refrain from making any rash decisions. Or the next time I come back,** ” he leaned closer, “ **it won’t be so _pleasant_.**” He spat out that last word.

He swiftly left and returned to where Hat Kid was standing. She looked over to the Empress, who was staring at the duo with something akin to fear in her eyes. It wasn’t long before other cats appeared from different corners of the plaza, panicked eyes laying on the two. Hat Kid could only briefly scan their faces before she felt arms reaching from under her, lifting her up. As soon as her feet left the ground, the image of a ruined Nyakuza Metro was replaced with her room, more specifically her bed. She was turned around and gently placed on her bed, facing Snatcher, her pillow pile in the background. His face was oddly calm, which was both relieving and worrying for the girl.

There was a few seconds of silence between the two, neither of them knowing what to say as they avoided eye contact. Hat Kid decided to speak first, her voice quiet, "Are you okay?” Her ghostly friend looked a little worse for wear. His entire body was covered in dust and injuries. Little rocks and pebbles created a slightly grey layer over his dark purple body. Much of the dirt had found its way into his ruffled neck, causing it to become a grungy mess. Black charred blasts, from the Empress’ rockets, scattered throughout his body. Hat Kid couldn’t help but feel a sense of guilt over the sight.

The ghost had a flash of surprise cross his face before he snorted and crossed his arms, “ **Shouldn’t I be asking _you_ that?**” His question was both a deflection and his way of showing concern. The kid was a mess. Her clothes were dirty, with slight tears in the fabric. She was covered in dirt and scrapes, some of the dirt even entering her wounds. Her eyes and nose were red and puffy from crying. There were clean streaks, caused by her tears, down her cheeks. Her hair was, also, very disheveled and matted from a mixture of both dirt and sweat. Snatcher couldn’t help but feel a sort of ache in his chest at the sight. He didn’t feel like questioning the reaction.

“I’m okay,” the child answered, using her sleeve to wipe away snot. A beat passed and Snatcher was deciding that now would be a good time to leave, he needed to blow off some steam, but as he turned to leave, Hat Kid spoke again, looking down at her hands, “Thank you.”

“ **For what?** ” It was a stupid question, he knew why.

Still not looking at him, as she fidgeted her hands, she explained, “For coming to get me...and for...with the Empress and all.”

Snatcher instinctively felt himself bristle at the name, the name acting as a reminder at the current state the kid was in. As she fiddled with her hands, he saw the red marks from where the rope dug into her skin and he felt his anger flare up again. The ghost forced himself to calm down, the kid wasn’t there anymore. It took him a second to process what she meant by thanking him, more specifically about the Empress, but quickly pieced together what she meant. ‘Thanks for not killing her’, was what she was saying.

Trying to act as nonchalant as possible, he replied, “ **Yeah well, don’t think this is going to be a regular thing. Breaking you out of there was a one time deal.** ” A beat passed before he continued, arms at his sides and his fists clenched tight, “ **And I have half a mind to go back over there and kill that _cat_.**” Hat Kid noticed ruffles around his neck rise at the mention of the Empress.

Deciding to tease him a little, the child asked, “Why _did_ you come rescue me?” A side of her mouth quirked upwards as a form of a smirk.

Her friend was taken aback for a second, but quickly recovered with his usual playful wickedness. A smile grew on his face as he answered, “ **Who else is going to complete my contracts? That chef cat? Don’t make me laugh! You’re the only one that can do them.** ”

Hat Kid jokingly clutched her chest as she looked up at him, “Aww, really?” Snatcher reacted by turning away and grumbling something indecipherable. Hat Kid couldn’t help but chuckle a little at her friend’s reaction. Though Snatcher found her teasing a little annoying, he felt relieved when he heard her laugh. At least she was still her usual, pestering, self.

“You are okay though, right?” She looked up at him, worry in her eyes.

The ghost felt slightly uncomfortable under her gaze. He quickly answered, looking away, his tone even, “ **I’m fine.** ” He wasn’t stupid, he knew exactly why she asked that. Though, it’s not like he could give a concrete answer on what happened because not even he knew.

“Are you sure-”

“ **Just drop it kid!** ” He snapped and instantly regretted it when she jumped and looked back down at her hands, most likely feeling embarrassed or guilty. Wait, why would he regret snapping? He didn’t owe her an explanation! Though, in all actuality, he didn’t have an explanation.

“It’s just,” the kid began, causing her friend to look back at her. “you looked scary.” She stole a glance his way and continued to fiddle with her hands and sleeves. “And not like before,” she paused trying to find the words. “It was...different this time.” She didn’t know if she could describe how he looked. How his mouth had more sharp teeth, how his eyes were pointed slants, how yellow smoke poured out of them, how his ruffles raised in a way that made him look larger or how blue flames appeared around him, along with that blackish purple goop she saw around her room. How he seemed determined to destroy the entire metro and those that lived there, criminal or not. How this change in him gave her a sense of fear that she would rather not revisit.

“ **You don’t have to say anything,** ” he calmly said, she didn’t need to recite what he looked like because he was still dealing with what he had felt like while down there. Needing to change the subject, he nodded towards the door, “ **Why don’t you go get taken care of, I’m sure that chef cat will help you.** ”

“ _Cooking Cat,_ ” Hat Kid corrected him, smiling as she slid off the bed and made her way to the door.

“ **Whatever,** ” he amusingly waved her off with a smile, as she left.

Once the kid was out the doors, Snatcher's smile faded. He debated on whether or not he should stay or just go back to his tree. He had no reason to be here, the kid was fine, she was getting taken care of, and, to be honest, Snatcher felt tired. Which was odd, given that he wasn't alive anymore. Despite these excuses, he couldn't bring himself to leave. It was that nagging voice again, from earlier, telling him to stay but giving no reason as to why. Well, that actually wasn't true, it _did_ give a reason, but the ghost refused to listen to it. He didn't want to give it any sort of spotlight because what the reason was, was too stupid even for him. Too asinine to even consider. There was no way that it was true. But if it wasn't true, why did he find it so hard to just leave?

Snatcher outwardly groaned as he made his way to his usual corner in the room, crossing his arms and slouching in an act that was basically him sulking. If he were alive, he would have gotten a headache from this. This whole back and forth with himself was mentally exhausting.

He hated this. It should be simple to just _leave_ but why couldn't he bring himself to do it?! He should not be having this much trouble with a choice like this. It wasn't like him to hang up on decisions and second guess himself. He was the Snatcher! A powerful spirit that eats souls, terrorizes mortals, and revels in their misery! He should not have any problem leaving the kid and getting back to Subcon. In fact, he sat up straighter, why waste more time? Why should he have to stay when he had other, much more important, things to do?!

Faint voices could be heard coming from the tunnel, followed by muffled laughter. A sense of panic overtook the shadow and Snatcher had only seconds to act. He quickly procured a book, opened to a random page, and put on the most neutral face he could muster. He didn't know why he put on this act and it only occurred to him, much later, that he could have used this moment to teleport away.

"I'm just glad you're alright," Cooking Cat began, as her, and Hat Kid, walked through the doors. "I was so worried about you. This whole mess gave me quite the scare. Though, it must've been worse for you."

"I told you, I'm fine," the alien child replied, her tone, though playful, held a hint of fatigue.

Snatcher couldn't help but steal a glance their way. Observing Hat Kid as she sat on the bed. She was all cleaned up, her cheeks had white patches on them, a much larger one on her left cheek, and her hair was free from the dirt and grime. She even had on a clean pair of pajamas, no doubt taken from her laundry room, and her signature hat rested on her head. She was holding a glass of water, which was then set on the table next to her bed once she sat down. Something akin to calmness came over the ghost. His stress induced thoughts were all but forgotten at the sight of the kid's cheerfulness and healed state. A part of him was thankful in his decision to stay, which he did not feel like arguing. Snatcher looked back at his book, not even processing the words written there.

“Well, I don’t want you overworking yourself for the next few days,” Cooking Cat began. “And that means no contracts.” Snatcher felt eyes on him at that last statement. He acted unbothered and turned a page he never read.

Hat Kid replied with a sound of disappointment, as she put her hat beside her on the bed. She removed the covers and Cookie tucked her in. The feeling of being in bed never felt so satisfying. The weight of the blanket, the softness of the pillow, the familiarity of her room, it was enough to make her instantly tired and she felt her eyes droop. Saying her goodbye, Cookie glanced toward the large, purple ghost in the corner of the room. The cat didn’t say anything and her face was unreadable, as she turned away and walked out. After a few moments, Hat Kid’s tired thoughts finally made their way to the forefront of her brain. She wondered why Snatcher was still here. She expected to come back to an empty room, but was surprised to see her friend sitting in his corner, reading a book. She was about to voice her question, when Snatcher started first.

“ **Well!** ” He loudly shut his book, the object disappearing in a puff of smoke. The sudden noise snapped Hat Kid from her weariness, her eyes opening wide as she turned her head towards her friend. He moved his body as if he were stretching and said, “ **Time for me to leave, see ya around kiddo!** ”

Hat Kid sat up as fast as she could, her mouth moving before she could give her request a second thought, “Um...could you..” Her friend, still floating in his corner, looked her way. The alien child looked down at her lap, “Could you...stay?” She mustered the courage to look back at the ghost, “Please?”

Said ghost was thoroughly taken aback by this request. His nagging voice now had a great reason to stay, an official invitation from the kid herself! But would he listen? Snatcher could no longer ignore that voice and so he was, basically, having a debate with himself yet again. It was annoying. Why is he listening to it? What brought on this voice in the first place? This was all so taxing. What ever happened to before, when he had no problem sending a child on dangerous missions that could have very well ended in her death? But now? Now it was different. He was looking for the kid when she didn’t show up in his forest, he felt furious at her injured body, and he was having internal debates on whether he should stay in her room or not! What a joke.

“So?” The kid’s follow up question brought the ghost back from his internal tangent. Right, he still had a decision to make.

Sighing, he answered, “ **Fine.** ” He saw the child’s face light up in a smile and ignored the weird feeling that swelled within him at her reaction. “ **Don’t get any ideas, I’m just too drained to go back.** ” Which was sort of true, he really did feel worn out and he had a large hunch it was because of what happened to him in that metro. So, he might as well stay and recharge. Though it didn’t matter what half-assed excuse he made, his nagging voice had shut up in victory.

Shrinking his size, he made his way towards the chair by the kid’s bed. Confusion crossed her face as she watched him sit down and summon his book. Honestly, his current uses of them these past few minutes have been more as props than anything. In fact, he was positive he was not going to read it this time either, he just needed something to do with his hands.

Opening his book to, yet another, random page, he heard the kid speak, “You’re sitting there?”

Glancing her way, he replied, “ **The corner can get uncomfortable, kid.** ”

Hat Kid quirked an eyebrow, “Uncomfortable? But you’re a ghost.”

“ **Yeah well, even ghosts have preferences,** ” he looked back at his book, his impatience evident in his voice.

Hat Kid mumbled an ‘Oh’ as she settled back under the covers, the room going dark as the lights in the ship turned off. She noticed a faint yellow glow coming from her friend. She lightly smiled, as she looked at the ghost, “Hah, your face is glowing.” Snatcher ignored her and she pouted when her friend didn’t give in to her teasing. A quiet moment passed between the two, Hat Kid's eyes grew heavy as sleep over took her and through her fatigued mind, a question formed. "Hey," she began, her voice tired. Snatcher's eyes glanced her way before landing back on his book, a sign for her to continue, "you said earlier that you felt drained." She turned her head towards him, "Is that because of what happened before? At the metro?" She couldn't help an oncoming yawn escape her.

His eyes narrowed at the question, " **Is this how you lull yourself to sleep? By pestering people with unwarranted questions?** " He turned a page of his book.

"Well, no but-"

" **Then I suggest you zip it.** " He turned another page and Hat Kid's drowsy mind could have sworn he had already flipped to a new page earlier.

The alien child wanted desperately to know what had happened to him back there, but she decided against it. For one, she was too tired -- apparently getting kidnapped and chasing down your rampaging friend in an attempt to stop him from killing innocent cats was enough to tire anyone out -- and two, she didn't want to push it. Snatcher had been surprisingly lenient with her ever since he brought her back and, though she was tempted, decided not to pry any further. She mumbled something indecipherable as she turned over, facing away from the ghost.

Snatcher continued to read. This time, for real.

Snatcher didn’t know how long it was until he heard the soft rhythmic breathing of the kid. He waited a few seconds more, listening and trying to find any sign that she was still awake. Fortunately there was none and the ghost closed his book. The lights had turned off a while ago, but Snatcher, being dead, had no reason for his eyes to take in light so he had excellent night vision and it had been no problem for him reading in the dark. Resting his back against the chair, the shadow leaned on one clenched hand, while the other wrapped its fingers on the armrest.

Now time to address the _other_ elephant in the room, the one that he refused to acknowledge ever since coming back. The one the kid tried to bring up, only for him to immediately shut her down. What the _hell_ happened back there?

It wasn't as if Snatcher had blacked out during the…episode, he was fully conscious of his actions. In fact, even now, he never regretted them. He really _was_ planning on killing the Empress and taking his anger out on any cat he came across down there. He didn't care, not after what that _cat_ did to the kid. The only thing he truly regretted was seeing the kid cry in front of him. He had felt a sense of surprise at her interference between him and the Empress, but it was quickly snuffed out as he saw the tears fall down her cheeks and her desperate pleas for him to stop. It made him feel...guilty? Ashamed? Remorseful? It was difficult to pinpoint. All he knew was that he didn't like seeing her cry and the fact that he was the reason made it seem worse. But why would he feel that? After all this time, why was it _now_ that he seemed affected by the kid?

Whatever, he could think about that later. Right now, he had to figure out what happened to him. He remembered feeling an intense rage, one he had never felt before. It wasn’t like how he felt anger towards Vanessa, no this was different. A sort of difference that one cannot describe, but only experience to truly understand what he meant. Or maybe it was because he _couldn't_ explain it due to not being overly familiar with it. He thought to what had actually triggered this anger and he knew the answer, it was the kid. He sighed in annoyance as he looked at the sleeping form of the child he had “rescued”, her words not his! It always came back to her. Said child stirred in her sleep and moved her arm, her sleeve sliding down and revealing the rope marks. Snatcher narrowed his eyes and felt that very same anger seethe within him. It was much more faint than before, but still there. The feeling was enough to make him tempted to go back down there and deal with that Empress, unfortunately he had decided to not give in.

The ghost stared down at his two fingered hand, flexing it open and shut. He remembered the kid saying something about how he looked “scary”. Well, he didn’t feel himself change _physically_ , more mentally and emotionally. He found it...unsettling. The combination of Hat Kid in that photo and when he saw the Empress about to strike her, it caused something deep within him to rise and claw its way to the forefront of his mind. He had an unexpected desire to destroy. The feeling came so suddenly that he, almost reactively, gave into it. But he caught himself before anything happened. It wasn’t until he was buried under that concrete and heard the pained cry of Hat Kid, did he finally give in to that temptation to kill. Like pulling tension on a spring until it snapped, Snatcher felt the release of that tension as he instinctively gave into that rage.

All he could really think, in that moment, was to destroy and all he could feel was the need to kill. His mind had never felt more clouded than in that moment. None of his thoughts really made sense. All his rampaging mind could focus on was killing any cat he saw and destroying anything that got in his way. Of course that fury increased tenfold when he saw the Empress fire a rocket at Hat Kid and whatever self-control he had acquired during that moment, between him and the child, was quickly forgotten. It was like he was a monster.

Now, on any other day, Snatcher would have no problem with that label. In fact he enjoyed when mortals called him such things, really helped with his reputation. But, the fact he had felt so out of control was what made him uneasy. Adding to that, it seemed the kid was the cause of it. Which was also worrying. This new form, this new _anger_ , was something that Snatcher had no idea how to proceed with. He wasn’t going to lie, it piqued his interest. Very rarely did he discover new things about his ghostly form these days and the prospect of something new to study, and control, made him rather excited. Another new development was that he only felt this reaction when he saw the kid like that: injured and looking rather helpless in the grip of that cat.

This brought him back to the question, why _now_ of all the times he interacted with her? What changed? He had no problem seeing her struggle her way through his contracts, so why was this any different? He thought back to those moments, they didn’t seem to garner any sort of negative reaction from deep within him. So why did that photo of the kid, tied to a chair, injured, make him so angry?

He frowned, his hand no longer wrapped against the chair, instead it clenched in a tight fist. He knew why. The answer had been told to him some time ago, he just refused to listen to it. It just couldn’t be true, could it? It _had_ to be something else!

That nagging voice, however, told him no.

His eyes looked down at the sleeping kid. She was on her stomach, her arms fitting under her pillow, her calm face was towards the ghost and he couldn’t stop his mouth from quirking upwards ever so slightly. He immediately turned away, frowning. It looked like that nagging voice was right. It explained why he felt the need to look for the kid when she didn’t arrive in his forest. It explained why he grew more restless when he couldn’t find her in the ship. It explained his reaction to burning the ransom note and photo once he saw her battered and bruised state. It explained why he felt such an intense rage at how he saw the Empress treat her. It also explained this new rage and how it changed him in that moment, so much so that the kid had to snap him out of it. That rage came from one of protectiveness, with a mixture of revenge.

He cared about her.

He sank lower in the chair as he looked back at Hat Kid. He felt defeated. As if this whole denial was a battle with himself and his stubborn side had no intention of breaking. Until now, of course.

Dammit. This was going to be so pecking _irritating_ to deal with.

**Author's Note:**

> This monster of a fic took me 2 months to write and preview over but I finally did it! Hope you guys liked it! 
> 
> I honestly wasn't expecting it to be this long but one idea after another hit me and I had to write it down, ya know how it is lol Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go lie down


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